Pneumatic playing attachment for musical instruments.



R. J. BENNETT. I PNEUMATIC PLAYING ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1912.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

.5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. J. BENNETT. PNEUMATIC PLAYING ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

A 1 9 1 4 2 V 0 N d e nu n e t a P L 1 9 1 5 2 A M D E L I F N 0 I T A 0 I L P P A 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

(jag? R. J. BENNETT. PNEUMATIC PLAYING ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.25, 1912.

1,1 18,26 1. A Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

R. J. BENNETT. PNEUMATIC PLAYING ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1912.

1 1 1 8,26 1. Patented Nov. 24 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

R. J. BENNETT. PNEUMATIC PLAYING ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1912.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

ham mar? Jfiemwefi M WWW UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nonnnr'r. BENNETT, or norms, nn-rivers; Assieno'n moan-mm PIANO rm'znn company, or MILAN, rumors, A oonroaarrou or rumors.

'rivnum'arrc rmrme arracnn m FOR ausmaz. msrnumnnrs.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, ROBERT J. BENNETT,

afcitizen of the United States, residin at embodying a rotatable member accessible to mat'ic playing attachment having means whereby one of the spools-may be adjusted lengthwise of its axis for causing. the record toregister properly with the tracker board,

the thumb or finger of the operator, and so disposed that it may be operated conveniently without opening the casing or cabinet of the musical instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved and simple means whereby a brake is automatically applied to one of the spools when the record is being rewound so as to cause the record to Wind tightly upon the original spool.

The invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects which will hereinafter appear are attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointedout in the claims.

In the said drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation partlybroken away and partly in section of a playing attachment for mu'sicah instruments embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5'5, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a horizontal detail section on the line 66, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 7-7, Fig. 2. Fig. 8. is. a detail view partly broken away and artlyin section of the adjustingscrew an its gear, hereinafter described-3 Fig. 9 is a detailplan section on v, the liIlGQ-ffQ, Fig. 1. Fig; 10'isa view of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 191 4.

Application filed March 25, 1912. Serial No. 685,981.

parts looking away from the line 1010, Fig. 5, on 'a smaller scale, with the cap of the primary pneumatic removed. Fig. 11 is a detail section on the line 11-11, Fig. 9. Fig-.12 is a plan section on the line 12--12, Fig. 14, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the valve-controlling mechanism shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a general view in front elevation of the manuallyoperated means for controlling the winding and re-winding mechanism. Fig. 15 is a front elevation of a part-of the mechanism at one end of the instrument showing the connection between the pumpers, motor and wind chest, and means whereby the wind chest is cut out during the re-winding operation. Fig. 16 is an enlarged detail section on the line 16-16 of Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is an enlarged detail sectional view on line 1717, of Fig. 15.

The record sheet is shown at 1, and 2, 3

are the spools upon which'it is wound, 2

tably supported between side frames 4:, 5,

by any suitable means. At one end the spool is preferably supported by a journal '6 which engages the end of the spool and is held in place by a spring 7 suitably housed and supported uponthe side support 4. The other end of the spool is detachably connected by a suitable clutch 8 with a shaft 9, journaled at one end in side support 5, and at its other in a cross bar 10 of a bracket or frame 10 secured to the side support 5. The journal or pivot 6 and the shaft 9 are movable longitudinally in their supports, and arranged to engage one end of the shaft 9 is a screw 11 which has its axis of rotation disposed in axial alinement with the axis of the shaft 9, and is screw-threaded in a fixed cross bar or support 12 of the frame 10*, so that by its rotation the shaft 9 may be moved longitudinally toward the pivot or support 6, thereby compressing the spring 7 and adjusting the record 1 with reference to the tracker board 13, andv when the screwis rotated in the opposite .direction the spring 7 moves the spool 1 toward its shaft 9. This rotation of the screw may be effected by anysuitabl'e connections with a thumb or finger'piece, preferably in the form of a knurled wheel 14, recessed in the face of said 1 support so as to bealways accessible to the thumb or finger of the operator without requiring the operator to insert the fingers between the support 5 andthe spool, or into the mechanism at any other point. These side supports 4, 5 being parts of the spool box and always exposed, the wheel 14 will be accessible without opening the cabinet of the instrument, and by sinking it into a suitable recess 15 in the side of the support 5, and covering the recess close to the wheel by means of a plate 16, a construction attractive in appearance is provided. In this exemplification of the invention the thumb wheel 14 is connected to the screw 11 by means of a shaft 17, a pinion 18 and gear wheel 19. The gear 19 is secured to the screw and is engaged by the pinion 18, which is secured to theshaft 17, and the latter is mounted in laterally projecting arms 20, 21, formed on the bracket 10 The shaft 9 is rotated for winding and rewinding by means of the usual or any suitable motor, forming no part of the present invention and which, therefore, is not illustrated' There is shown a shaft 22 which may be regarded as the motor shaft, and which is jcurnaled in suitable bearings 23 and provided with a sprocket wheel 24 journaled loosely thereon and connected by a chain or belt 25 with a sprocket 26 secured to shaft 9. The sprocket 24 is capable of being rctatively connected with-shaft 22 at the will of the operator by any suitable clutch mechanism controlled by a manually operated member or finger piece 27, accessible to the hand of the operator, so that when this finger piece 27 is moved in one direction, the shaft 9 will be thrown out of rotative connection with the shaft 22, and the latter will be rotatively connected with the spool 3 for causing the record to wind thereon during the playing operation, and when the finger piece 27 is shifted in the opposite direction, the spool 3 will become idle andthe spool 2 will be given rotative connection with the shaf 22 for the rewinding operation. Any suitable detachable clutch mechanism embodyinga reversing train of gears for reversing the motion of the shaft 22 and the spool 3 may beemployed. In this example of the invention there is fixed to the shaft 22 a disk 28 having perforations 29 (see particularly- Figs. 9 and 11) arranged to register with one of more laterally projecting pins 30 carried by a disk or clutch member 31, which latter is journaled loosely upon the countershaft 24 This disk 31 is secured to a sliding pinion 32 also mounted on the countershaft 24*, the latter being journaled in suitable bearings. The inner face .of the sprocket-wheel 24 is also provided with oneor more lat era-11v pro ect ng pins 35 arranged in the circular line of movement ofrpins 30, and these parts are so proportioned that when the disk 31 and pinion 32 are moved toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 1, the pins 30 will engage with the pins 35 immediately after the pinion 32 moves out of engagement with the gear wheel 33, on the shaft 34 of the spool 3, thereby disconnecting the shaft 22 from the shaft 34 and connecting the shaft 22 with the sprocket 24 for rewinding the record upon the spool 2. The pinion 32 and disk 31 are thus shifted at the will of the operator by a shifter 36 carried on the end of a sliding rod 37 mounted in the side supports 4, 5, and provided With a spring 38 for causing it to move toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1, said spring being coiled upon the rod 37 between a collar 39 thereon and the side support 5. The opposite end of the rod 37 projects through the side support 4 and is arranged to be engaged and operated by the movable member 40 of a power pneumatic 41, the movable member 40 having a laterally projecting arm 42 for that purpose. When the pneumatic 41 collapses, which it does as soon as it'is connected with the air exhausting mechanism usually employed in connection with devices of this character, it automatically applies a brake to the spool 3 for putting a tension on the same and causing the record to wind tightly upon the spool 2. Thi brake is in the form of a shoe 43 secured to a projecting arm 44 on the movable member 40 of pneumatic 41, in position to engage a brake wheel or disk 45 secured to a projecting end of the shaft 34, said brake shoe being capable of adjustment with relation to the brake wheel or disk by means of an adjusting screw 46 and a nut 47. I y

The power pneumatic 41 is under control of a primary pneumatic or controlling pneumatic which turn is controlled by the finger piece 27. The primary pneumatic or controlling pneumatic'may be of theusuali or any suitable construction, whereby when the finger piece 27 is moved in one direction the power pneumatic will be connected with the air exhausting mechanism to cause its collapse as before mentioned, and when moved in the opposite direction will be connected with the atmosphere. The primary pneumatic employed isbest shown in Fig. 5. The valve mechanism is inclosed by a housing or block 48 having a port 49 leading to a port 50, which extends through the fixed member of the power pneumatic. The valve block 48 is mounted upon a wind chest or trunk 51, and the port 50 has connection with the port 49 through a port 52 formed in this wind chest. The valve block 48 also has a port 53 communicating with wind chest 51 through a port 54, and the interior of the valve block or housing is divided into twp-compartments or chambers 55, 56, the

former of which communicates with the port 49 and the latter directly with the ort 53'? These two chambers are constituted by an alper'tured' partition 57 having a valve seat 58, and opposite this valve seat 58 is another valve seat 59 formed on an apertured partition 60 which gives the chamber 55 communication with the atmosphere through the space 61, left between the adjacent faces of the block 48 and power pneumatic 41. Between these two valve seats is situated a valve 62 mounted onastem 63, and adapted when upon the seat 59 to open communication between the two ports 49 and 53 and shut ofl communication with the atmosphere through valve seat 59. One side of chamber 56 isconstituted by a diaphragm 64 held in place by a plug 65 having a channel 0r chamber 66 which is closed at the outer side by a cap 67 secured to block 48. This chamber 66 is in communication with a duct 68 which extends through the bottom of the valve block 48 and communicates with a passage 69 in the top of the wind chest 51 and this passage'is connected to a tube 70 which leads to a port 71 in a valve seat 72 controlled by a pivoted valve 73, the latter being connected by a rod 74 to the pivoted finger piece 27 so that when the finger piece is moved in one direction the port 71 will be opened and air will be admitted directly from the atmosphere to the chamber 66, thereby breaking the partial vacuum in said chamber 66 and causing the diaphragm 64 to move against the valve stem 63 for opening the valve 62 and placing the port 53 in communication with port 49' and collapsing the pneumatic 41, which will then be in direct communication with the wind chest 51 and with the exhausting mechanism which, though not shown, is connected with the wind chest by an exhaust pipe 75. The diaphragm chamber 66 is also permanently in communication with the wind chest 51 through a small duct or passage ordinarily known as a bleed hole 76 which, being of considerably smaller transverse area than the duct 68, is incapable of influencing the diaphragm 64 when the duct 68 is opened to the atmosphere. It is of course understood, however, that as soon as the port 71 is closed by the operator, the diaphragm 64 will again be influenced by the partial vacuum created in the wind chest 51 and the valve 62 will be returned to its seat 58, thus opening communication between the power pneumatic 41 and the atmosphere through the valve seat 59 and passage 61.

During the rewinding operation, the record naturally runs over the trackerboard in a more or less loose condition, and by thus leaving the tracker board ducts open, the vacuum in the wind chest is materially reduced and the work required of the pumpers to create sufficient vacuum to operate the motor would be objectionably increased-it th wind chest were not out off from the pumpers at suchtime. In order that this may be accomplished immediately before the rewinding operation begins, the connections and devices which will now be described are employed. The valve seat block 72 is provided with an additional port 71 in its upper surface, which is connected by a tube 77 with a primary or controlling pneumatic 78, which controls a power pneumatic 79 arranged to operate a valve 80 controlling a port 81 formed in a partition 81 dividing valve housing 86 into two compartments, one, 86 connected by pipe or passage 82 to the wind chest 83, and the other, 86*, connected by passage 89 to pumpers 88, the power pneumatic 79 having an arm 84 arranged to engage under the lower end of stem 85 projecting loosely through the bottom valve housing 86 and having its upper end provided with head 87 arranged to engage the valve 80 for opening the same when pneumatic 79 collapses, thereby connecting the wind chest 83 with the valve housing compartment 86 and the pumpers.

When the described action occurs, the force of the pumpers will be divided between the wind chest and the motor 90, but when valve 80 closes, the full force ofthe pumpers will be exerted in the motor through the direct connection 75, the wind chest being cut ofl". In this example of the invention the construction is such that the power pneumatic 79 collapses to open valve 80 when the port 71 is open, and expands to permit valve 80 to close when port 71 is closed, and to that end a second valve 73 connected with the rod 74 and operating in unison with the valve 73 is provided, these two valves 73, 73 being, if desired, formed on a single bar pivoted to the seat 72 by pin 73 1 and held in place by a suitable spring 7 3 The valves 73, 78 and the ports they control are so related that the port 71 Will be closed before the port 71 is opened, so -as to prevent the instrument from being sounded at the commencement of the re winding operation. The primary pneumatic 78 may be substantially a counterpart of the primary pneumatic comprised in valve housing or block 48 already described, and which willbe readily understood from Fig. 5, it being seen that the tube or connection 77 leads to the duct 68 of pneumatic 78 which corresponds to the duct 68 and that the chamber 55 of pneumatic 78 which corresponds to the chamber 55 is connected to power pneumatic 79 directly by a port 49 corresponding with port 49, while the chamber 56 of pneumatic 78 which corresponds to the chamber 56 is con nected with the pumpers 88 by port 53 corresponding to the port 53 in Fig. 5, and the passage 53", so that when atmospheric air is-admitted'to passage or tube 77', the valve 62 of. pneumatic 78 which corresponds to the valve 62 will shift to connect the power pneumatic. directly with the pumpers for causing such power pneumatic to collapse, and thereby open the valve 80.

- I claim: v v

1. In an apparatus for the purpose described, the combination of two spools upon which a record sheet is adapted to be wound, a brake for retarding the rotation of one of said spools, a power pneumatic having a movable member carrying and actuating said brake, a primary pneumatic for controlling said power pneumatic, a wind chest to which the primary pneumatic is connected and by which a partial vacuum is created in the primary pneumatic for holding the power pneur atiginlcommunication with the atmosphere, a manually controlled valvefor admitting air to the primary pneumatic and breaking said vacuum and thereby placing .the power pneumatic in communication with the wind chest for collapsing the power pneumatic, a driving shaft, 'a'c detachable clutch device for connecting said driving shaft with either of said spools, and an operative connection between said power pneumatic and clutch device whereby the clutch.

device will be shifted for disconnecting one of the spools from said shaft and connecting the other spool therewith when said power pneumatic collapses.

2. In an apparatus for the purpose described the combination of a' tracker board, a spool upon which a record sheet'is adapted to be wound, means for supporting said spool embodying a side support 5 arranged in a plane transverse to the axis of the spool, a longitudinallyshiftable shaft for rotating the spool projecting laterally from or at an angle to said plane, a screw mounted independently of said shaft co-axialtherewith, a gear wheel for rotating said screw, a counter shaft having means operatively connecting it with said gear wheel and being arranged substantially parallel with said first shaft, and a thumb wheel arranged in a plane parallel with the aforesaid plane and having its edge projecting beyond the edge of said side support for rotating said counter shaft.

3.1;; an apparatus for the purpose described, the. combination of a tracker board, a spool upon which a record sheet is adapted to be wound, means for supporting one end of said spool embodying side support 5 having a'recess in its outer edge, a thumb wheel situated insaid recess and projecting beyond the edge of said side support, a longitudinally shiftableshaft for rotating said spool, and means operatively connected with said thumb wheel for shifting said shaft longitudinally.

mean

4. In an apparatus for the purpose .described,the combination of'a tracker board, a longitudinally shiftablevspool upon WhlCh arecord sheet is adapted to be wound, a side support inwhic'h said spool is journaled, a thumb wheel recessed in the outer edge of said side support, and means for shifting said spool longitudinally having operative.

a record sheet is adapted to be wound, a side support in which one end of said spool is journaled, abracket secured to'one side of said side support and having two cross bars,

a longitudinally shiftable shaft for rotating;

said spool journaled in said bracket and in' one of said cross bars, a screw screw-threaded in the other of said cross bars co-axial with said shaft and arranged to engage thesame, arms projecting from said bracket, a

counter shaft journaled in said arms, a gear wheel on said screw, a pinion on said counter shaft engaging said gear wheel, and a thumb wheel arranged contiguousto said side support and secured to said counter shaftfor.

rotating the same.

6. In an apparatus for the purpose de-' f scribed, the combination of a tracker board,

a longitudinally shiftable spool upon which arecord sheet is adapted to be wound, a,

support in which the spool is journaled, said support being disposed in proximity to the vend of the spool, a thumb wheel recessed in the support within the plane of the sides of the support and accessible from the front of the support, and means whereby the operation'of said thumb wheel will shift the spool longitudinally. 1

7. In an apparatus for the purpose described, the combination of a tracker board, a longitudinally shiftable spool upon which a record sheet is adapted to be'wound, a

spool longitudinally and adjust the spool with respect to the thumb wheel, said thumb wheel being mounted coa-Xially with the axle of the spool.

name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 18th day of March A. I). 1912.

7 ROBERT J. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

Esiun WALTON, .l. H. JoonnM, Jr.

In testimony whereof have signed my support in which the spool is journaled, said 

